Friday, September 18, 2015

The meat counter at Asda in Barking, east London only sells halal meat

Furious shoppers have set up a Facebook page calling for the public to stop buying groceries at the Asda supermarket until it agrees to sell non-halal chickens, ribs, bacon joints and sausages again.

Meat sold on the store's rotisserie stand is now killed in the Islamic tradition, which directs that animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter and all blood drained from the carcass.

Furious shopper Eileen Glover, 63, who launched the campaign after the supermarket opened in Barking, east London, described it as "outrageous".

She said: "I am so angry as a British consumer, who has shopped and lived in Barking all my life, that my choice as a consumer has been compromised.

"I do not agree with the slaughtering process of halal meat, and the fact this has happened in a British store is outrageous.

"I urge anyone who feels the same to firstly boycott the store, and secondly make a complaint to head office as I have already done so."

I am so angry as a British consumer, who has shopped and lived in Barking all my life, that my choice as a consumer has been compromised

Eileen Glover

Ms Glover, who cares for her 87-year-old mother, said she takes her shopping at Asda every Tuesday, usually buying her cooked chicken to last her three days.

She said: "We do not have a problem with the store supplying halal meat.

"We understand there is a demand, but to not offer non-halal meat takes away our choice as consumers."

She added: "This country has made huge progress in the cruelty of animals and providing meat humanely killed. We feel this type of slaughtering is barbaric."

More than 2,000 supporters on Facebook are supporting the boycott.

One of them, Sylvia Everett, wrote: "Go shoppers boycott Asda and all others who only offer halal.

While Jason Cook said: "All Asda should be blocked ...animal cruelty in the UK is going backwards."

A spokesman for Asda, whose new store opened on September 3, defended the decision saying it "will continue to review the products we sell following customer feedback."

He added: "Our rotisserie in the Barking store is extremely popular with the local community and we try and meet every customer's needs.

British retailers and restaurants are quietly switching to halal meats in their products and meals, leaving customers opposed to the religious ritual - which sees the animal's throat cut - in the dark.

Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons all sell meat from non-stunned animals produced by specialist halalsuppliers, such as the London-based Haji Babab Halal Meats.